Mike Thomas says some beach businesses being left out

Adam Meyer, right, of Maryland bikes down State 79 during the Ford Ironman Florida 2011 in Panama City Beach.

ANDREW P JOHNSON / News Herald file photo

By MATTHEW BEATON / The News Herald

Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 11:05 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Bay County Commissioner Mike Thomas is tired of road races on Panama City Beach taking the same route.

Thomas expressed his displeasure at the County Commission meeting Tuesday, saying one group of residents and businesses continue to be adversely impacted by the throngs of runners that shut down the streets.

The issue before the commission was a road closure on Front Beach Road from the Panama City Beach limits to the Ramsgate condos near the Jamaican Lake Drive intersection. Front Beach Road’s eastbound lane would be closed Dec. 30 for a half marathon and 5K put on in conjunction with “The Biggest Loser” TV show.

The commission voted 4-1 to grant the road closure, with Thomas as the lone nay vote.

Thomas’ chief beef was why races always go toward the west end of the beach.

Dan Rowe, the executive director of the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) who presented the request, said development isn’t as dense on the west end and the route gives runners a view of the Gulf of Mexico.

“That’s one of the best little lines I’ve heard in a long time,” Thomas said.

PANAMA CITY — Bay County Commissioner Mike Thomas is tired of road races on Panama City Beach taking the same route.

Thomas expressed his displeasure at the County Commission meeting Tuesday, saying one group of residents and businesses continue to be adversely impacted by the throngs of runners that shut down the streets.

The issue before the commission was a road closure on Front Beach Road from the Panama City Beach limits to the Ramsgate condos near the Jamaican Lake Drive intersection. Front Beach Road’s eastbound lane would be closed Dec. 30 for a half marathon and 5K put on in conjunction with “The Biggest Loser” TV show.

The commission voted 4-1 to grant the road closure, with Thomas as the lone nay vote.

Thomas’ chief beef was why races always go toward the west end of the beach.

Dan Rowe, the executive director of the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) who presented the request, said development isn’t as dense on the west end and the route gives runners a view of the Gulf of Mexico.

“That’s one of the best little lines I’ve heard in a long time,” Thomas said.

The commissioner said it may be less dense on the west end because maybe “people don’t want to be down there because of the people running up and down the road.”

Thomas asked why the races can’t be rotated, so the east end of the beaches would see its equal share of runners and walkers.

Rowe said he would take it under advisement for future races and added there are a couple triathlons that go east, but not down Front Beach Road. He said 1,000 runners have signed up for the Dec. 30 race.

Rowe, who also serves as president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, said it’s believed the impact on businesses to the west will be “relatively small.”

Thomas asked Rowe if had spoken with any affected businesses prior to the meeting. Rowe said the only business owner at the beach to whom he had spoken was Thomas, who owns three restaurants on Panama City Beach, and he was speaking to him then.

Thomas also questioned holding the race Dec. 30.

“Just to let everybody know, I love Dan Rowe,” he said. “He does a great job, but he does a terrible job with road races.”

Rowe said he commits to looking at different routes for future races. Thomas said those commitments have been made in the past.

“Y’all suckered [Chairman George Gainer] and I into voting for them two years ago,” he said.

Rowe said later that although the race is on a Sunday morning, it’s being routed so it won’t affect any churches, which drew a laugh from Thomas. The commissioner said the only other places attended as much as churches on Sunday morning are restaurants.

Thomas said it’s a selfish remark, but these races affect the whole west end of the beach.

In an interview later Tuesday, Rowe said he takes Thomas’ concerns very seriously and acknowledged the large number of races on Front Beach Road’s west end.

“There (are) some legitimate concerns about the number of races and how they’re being organized,” he said.

Rowe said he already met Tuesday afternoon with the Panama City Beach city manager and members of its parks and recreation department, continuing a dialogue about creating different race routes. He said races should be matched with the right courses.

He said the discussions will be more than talk, yielding results and changes. In the future, he plans to keep the county and the commissioners more informed so their concerns can be addressed prior to a meeting.

Rowe said the TDC is not involved in most races at the beach but does take the issue seriously.

“I’m very confident that we will work to a solution that Commissioner Thomas will find acceptable,” he said, “as well as the people who are running the races on Panama City Beach.”

Thomas said late Tuesday he understood the TDC only holds about three races per year; his problem is nearly every organization has a running event and they all take the same route.

“That’s my main concern. I was trying to bring it to the forefront, so we can go ahead and talk about it and I can explain my situation to the other commissioners,” he said.

Thomas said he wanted commissioners’ future support in creating a route where races will affect fewer residents. He wants the county, beach and TDC staff to put their heads together and come up with that new course

If that’s not done, the route should be alternated so one area isn’t consistently impacted, Thomas said.

Ultimately the commissioner believes there will be change.

“I think everybody understands that it’s not equitable if you do the same thing over and over again and cause the same negative impact for the same people over and over again,” he said.

At the meeting, other commissioners took Thomas’ side but spoke of no future votes. Commissioner Mike Nelson said if the same route is brought to them next year he would vote against it.

Commissioner Guy Tunnell said he wants the commission to be consulted before future races and routes are scheduled so it can weigh in on potential problems.

Gainer said there are too many races in general and they disrupt traffic.

“Yes,” he said when voting, “but this is the last time … this thing will happen.”

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